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I nod toward her gorgeous cream gown and matching gloves. The diamonds at her ears blink as she angles her head, clearly relieved the program isover.
“The shoes are killing me. Come with me while I swap themout.”
I follow her to the coat check, where she grabs a Louis Vuitton weekender bag, and on to the empty powder room, a huge expanse of white and gray marble with three unoccupiedstalls.
There are thirty people at the rehearsal dinner Wednesday, most of whom are familiar. It’s the home stretch for the Vane wedding events. By the end of this weekend, it will beover.
“I didn’t grow up with this,” Camila says through her smile as she sets her bag on a chair in the corner. She tugs off one pump, sighing with pleasure as she steps barefoot onto the marble. “I went to school in the States, but my parents live in Cape Town, and they don’t approve ofAiden.”
Normally I’d be intrigued, but my interest in everything is dulled this week. “Really.”
She takes off the other shoe too, wiggling her toes on the floor. “Technically they don’t approve of this wedding. Would you mind?” She nods to the bag and I unzip it, finding a pair of elegant, cream Louboutinflats.
“Why don’t they approve?” I ask, holding out the shoes. “You could have your pick of men. It seems you could do worse than AidenVane.”
Camila tosses me a smile before pulling on her shoes. “The thing you realize once you’re not eighteen anymore is what a woman has to do if what she wants to achieve is bigger thanlove."
I haven’t thought much about love for myself until the past few weeks. Now, it’s hard to think of anythingelse.
Since Ben cut me out of his life and his heart last week, I’ve been going through themotions.
I get home late and leave early. I’ve thrown myself into work. Getting my schedule back on track and trying to figure out how to get my business back on track after not landing the Vaneaccount.
One of Camila’s bridesmaids comes in, offering a warm hello to me as she heads for one of thestalls.
“That’s better,” Camila says of theshoes.
“It’s nice to see all these people from our trip to the Vineyard,” I say as we head back out. “You have goodfriends.”
“Ben could’ve cometonight.”
My chest aches, a full, raw wave of emotion I’ve been trying to bury until I’m alone at home in the dark, where I can let it overwhelm me. “I don’t think it’s going to workout.”
“Why not?” Her pretty eyescloud.
I shouldn’t spill to a client, especially not one on the brink of her own wedding, but she looks so genuinely caring. “He doesn’t want a relationship. At least not with me. I confessed something I hoped would set us free, but it only drove a wedge betweenus.”
She turns to search out her future husband in the crowd of well-dressed bodies, frowning when she finds him. “When I was younger, I fell in love with a man. I tried to be what he wanted, was afraid to lose him. I lost him anyway. For all his flaws, Aiden knows who I am and why I’m here. Nothing can make up for going to bed knowing you have no secrets betweenyou.”
Except that’s not true. They might have shared secrets from the world, but he’s kept his feelings from her. There’s no way a man like Aiden Vane spills his guts on what was built as a business transaction. And there’s no way Camila could be as distanced talking about him now if hehad.
“I’m impressed with how you managed us,” Camila continues, steering us back toward the coat check to drop off the bag once more. “In the photo shoot and article draft, we look together, on the same page. I’ll be sure my father-in-law knows that when he decides on the person to run hiscampaign.”
“Apparently, the decision’s beenmade.”
“Has it?” She sets the bag on the coat checkcounter.
The attendant starts to take the bag, but Camila holds up a hand. She tugs the ends of one elegant glove until it gives. The other one followssuit.
Turning back to me, Camila folds her arms. “Tell me what you woulddo.”
Despite what happened with Ben and me this week, working with the Vanes has reinforced that you find devils where you least expect them—and friends too. Some relationships you didn’t expect to find emerge while you’re busy desperately clinging toothers.
I lift my chin. “Not all relationships are the same. People want to rediscover one another, and they change over timetoo.”
She listens thoughtfully as I go on for a few minutes, and when I’m finished, she nods. “Well. I hope we’ll see Ben at the wedding on Saturday. There’s stilltime.”
There’s no chance of that. He’s made his positionclear.
